[Devongone]

I'm a bit worried that it might take too much out of us and we might over-relax in the Fourth Round.

I suppose Tuchel must be wondering how Chelsea can break down our defence. The big question will be whether to put Lukaku up against Grimes in a battle he surely can't win, or go with Havertz in false nine role designed to confuse James Rowe. Tuchel himself must be worried about looking under-qualified for his job when compared to James Rowe, a graduate of the Cruyff Institute. It is indeed hard to see beyond another 0-2 and a cheeky £10 million bid from Arsenal for Tshimanga after netting twice.

You do realise this is the Cup Final David Elleray stole from us, when was it, about 1997?

[Dancingwilldoit]

Justice after all these years? No matter what happens the financials will help the trust immensely.
If they underestimate us and put out a 3rd string team, you never know.
We could have Asanti back along with a few others. Hope it's televised for the money but if the government allow it I will be there.

[Devongone]

118 ties being televised on BBC and ITV and no-one is interested in the best team in Europe (apparently) against the best non-league team when the balls were drawn. Are Millwall and Hull more interesting than us? I know the TV execs think we'll lose 10-0 and go home crying, but imagine what tossers they'll look if it is 0-0 at halftime and Tuchel is left contemplating how many of his stars to bring on.

I understood the magic of the cup was about a small club being drawn against a big one. And then when it happens, you ignore it?

However the game turns out it'll be magic for us. Can we have a special strip designed for the game with a spire motif all over the shirts?

Asante out-foxes young Chelsea defenders and lays the ball inside for Tshimanga to slot home. Under massive pressure from Chelsea's forward line, Chesterfield break from defence. The ball comes to Danny Rowe, 30 yards out and he lets fly with a sizzler Kepa can only parry. Who is first on the season with an open goal at his mercy? Mr Tshimanga, who lifts his shirt to reveal a tee shirt emblazoned with the message, ONLY £10 MILLION - come and get me! Dream on.

[Devongone]

Buxton and Ilkeston Town both win their leagues. Matlock in Play-offs, don't ask me how they work. And Long-Eaton won their league easy too.

Maybe there are more players at Derbyshire Clubs than just Bailey Hobson at Alfreton that we should be casting an eye over.

[spireitematt]

Buxton and Ilkeston Town both win their leagues. Matlock in Play-offs, don't ask me how they work. And Long-Eaton won their league easy too.

Maybe there are more players at Derbyshire Clubs than just Bailey Hobson at Alfreton that we should be casting an eye over.

Matlock are away at Scarborough in the playoffs and if they beat them then Matlock will host the playoff final.

[spireitematt]

Matlock lost 2-1 to Scarborough and Buxton manager resigned due to it being too far to travel from where he lives/works.

[Devongone]

Matlock lost 2-1 to Scarborough and Buxton manager resigned due to it being too far to travel from where he lives/works.

Matlock's defeat was Scarborough's revenge for Matlock's biggest success. In 1974-5 Matlock won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 in the final. Matlock had a seriously good team with all three Fenoughty brothers, including Tom, Peter Swan as player manager, his son Carl as reserve and a host of locally well-known players including a winger called Colin Oxley, with the reputation of being very quick and elusive.

Anyway Colin Oxley scored Matlock's first, so will never be forgotten by that club. Like many part-time pros he also turned out in the increasingly popular and very competitive Sunday League. His team, Queens Hotel Mosborough had been asked to leave a Sheffield League basically because they hadn't lost for two seasons and Sheffielders weren't keen on travelling out of town to get beat by a classy team on a very shitty pitch. So they came into the Chesterfield Sunday League. And my team, The Magpies, were the first (and only ones) to beat them that season. We didn't lose to any of the three teams who finished above us! Anyway due to defensive excellence, our very clever centre forward and 100% commitment we beat them 2-1 at our ground. Their only goal came 10 minutes into the second half from a penalty taken by Matlock hero Colin Oxley. And it was a terrible penalty. He looked one way, kicked the other. I knew he was a star player so I thought that it was a double bluff and went the wrong way. Even though we'd won and I'd been one of many who had played at our best I was in a rage over falling for it and swore he'd never score like that against me again.

Sure enough at their place they came at us big-time and we were holding on. After perhaps 20 minutes of constant pressure a ball struck the hand of one of our players, Terry Needham. It very obviously wasn't deliberate and Terry who had the most lovely deep auburn Titian red hair also had a temper to match when roused, and the ref' gave the penalty. Terry went mad at him, the ref' booked him, Terry didn't stop, he was clearly going to get sent off, so I rushed out of my goal. I would only have been 22, years younger than Terry. I grabbed him, started dragging him away, shouting that I'd stop the penalty! Terry was so surprised he let himself be dragged away. Colin Oxley took the penalty. Same again. I went the right way this time and saved it easily. Our team was jubilant. Again we got 2-1 up and that was such big news that everyone came out of the nearby working men's club to watch. The Queens just never lost at home. To be fair they put us under enormous pressure, but we held out. I made the best save of my life, but the whole team (with no part-time pros) was at its peak.........

Sadly it didn't have a happy ending. I told you it was a crappy pitch. Anyway five minutes from the end following yet another scramble one of their players blasted a shot from the edge of the area. One of our lads threw himself in the way and the ball looped up, spinning wildly. I was off my line narrowing the angle, but I was pretty sure I could get it out from the under the bar, but I reckoned without the pitch. There was a hollow on the goal line and just in front of it. As I was taking off backwards, my foot went down it and so my usual spring was already sprung. Instead of palming the ball up and over I merely touched it on its way into the goal. 2-2. Our most brilliant and heroic performance, and we didn't win.

Lovely Terry died in his mid-forties. Our two full backs had no trouble with Colin Oxley (who was a good player). Pete Stevenson, who was deputy Town Clerk, was heroically enthusiastic, he really never did know when he was beaten and Dave Branson was the classiest full back ever, how he didn't play full-time pro' I'll never know, I only ever once saw him struggle and that's a different ludicrous story. I still go back under that ball now. If I'd taken off one step earlier I had enough spring to save it. I know I wasn't to blame, and nearly 50 years on I still blame myself. Whatever commentators tell you, goalies always think there is a way they could have stopped that goal. We're the Catchers in the Rye, too late to tell old JD Salinger.

[Devongone]

Belper Town got promoted too!

[spireitematt]

Matlock lost 2-1 to Scarborough and Buxton manager resigned due to it being too far to travel from where he lives/works.

Matlock's defeat was Scarborough's revenge for Matlock's biggest success. In 1974-5 Matlock won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 in the final. Matlock had a seriously good team with all three Fenoughty brothers, including Tom, Peter Swan as player manager, his son Carl as reserve and a host of locally well-known players including a winger called Colin Oxley, with the reputation of being very quick and elusive.

Anyway Colin Oxley scored Matlock's first, so will never be forgotten by that club. Like many part-time pros he also turned out in the increasingly popular and very competitive Sunday League. His team, Queens Hotel Mosborough had been asked to leave a Sheffield League basically because they hadn't lost for two seasons and Sheffielders weren't keen on travelling out of town to get beat by a classy team on a very shitty pitch. So they came into the Chesterfield Sunday League. And my team, The Magpies, were the first (and only ones) to beat them that season. We didn't lose to any of the three teams who finished above us! Anyway due to defensive excellence, our very clever centre forward and 100% commitment we beat them 2-1 at our ground. Their only goal came 10 minutes into the second half from a penalty taken by Matlock hero Colin Oxley. And it was a terrible penalty. He looked one way, kicked the other. I knew he was a star player so I thought that it was a double bluff and went the wrong way. Even though we'd won and I'd been one of many who had played at our best I was in a rage over falling for it and swore he'd never score like that against me again.

Sure enough at their place they came at us big-time and we were holding on. After perhaps 20 minutes of constant pressure a ball struck the hand of one of our players, Terry Needham. It very obviously wasn't deliberate and Terry who had the most lovely deep auburn Titian red hair also had a temper to match when roused, and the ref' gave the penalty. Terry went mad at him, the ref' booked him, Terry didn't stop, he was clearly going to get sent off, so I rushed out of my goal. I would only have been 22, years younger than Terry. I grabbed him, started dragging him away, shouting that I'd stop the penalty! Terry was so surprised he let himself be dragged away. Colin Oxley took the penalty. Same again. I went the right way this time and saved it easily. Our team was jubilant. Again we got 2-1 up and that was such big news that everyone came out of the nearby working men's club to watch. The Queens just never lost at home. To be fair they put us under enormous pressure, but we held out. I made the best save of my life, but the whole team (with no part-time pros) was at its peak.........

Sadly it didn't have a happy ending. I told you it was a crappy pitch. Anyway five minutes from the end following yet another scramble one of their players blasted a shot from the edge of the area. One of our lads threw himself in the way and the ball looped up, spinning wildly. I was off my line narrowing the angle, but I was pretty sure I could get it out from the under the bar, but I reckoned without the pitch. There was a hollow on the goal line and just in front of it. As I was taking off backwards, my foot went down it and so my usual spring was already sprung. Instead of palming the ball up and over I merely touched it on its way into the goal. 2-2. Our most brilliant and heroic performance, and we didn't win.

Lovely Terry died in his mid-forties. Our two full backs had no trouble with Colin Oxley (who was a good player). Pete Stevenson, who was deputy Town Clerk, was heroically enthusiastic, he really never did know when he was beaten and Dave Branson was the classiest full back ever, how he didn't play full-time pro' I'll never know, I only ever once saw him struggle and that's a different ludicrous story. I still go back under that ball now. If I'd taken off one step earlier I had enough spring to save it. I know I wasn't to blame, and nearly 50 years on I still blame myself. Whatever commentators tell you, goalies always think there is a way they could have stopped that goal. We're the Catchers in the Rye, too late to tell old JD Salinger.

Did you enjoy playing in goal? Or did you play outfield at any time?

[Devongone]

I absolutely loved playing in goal, because it gives you the chance to be the hero. There's no one to help you. No brilliant assist. Just you and you get to save the whole team. Catching crosses delighted me. Catching a ball when diving full length was wonderful too. No block is ever a great save. Catch the ball and the attack is over. And never punch the air and pickford it. The ball in your safe hands says it all. A nod is enough.

Yes I did play out. I started at centre half because I was the tallest kid and I didn't cry or try to duck when heading the old heavy leather ball. Played full back too, I liked that especially left back though I was right-footed because my strong foot stopped the winger cutting in and I was quick enough to hold him outside and make crossing difficult.

Debut in men's football aged 15 - Right Wing. I'd never played forward, or midfield in my life. But you're 15 and filling in, you go where you're told specially when your dad is running the team. I assisted in 6 of the 8 goals we scored in an 8-2 win, had a really good game up against a hopeless defender, and my dad didn't put me in the team again for 3 months. He died when I was 17, I'd forced my way into the 2nd team goals, which my dad didn't like either, but he couldn't argue with a winning team. When he died just after Christmas that season the first team came to get me, so there I was, rugby for school Saturday mornings, decent class men's football in the afternoons and "disapproving" school none the wiser.